My 10 Tips for Being the Perfect Boss

I felt inspired to write this post. It’s the kind of post I love writing. My dream would be for as many employers as possible to read this and if it makes just one employee’s life happier I would be thrilled:

1. Give new employees a chance to adapt and not throw them into the deep end. Treat them the way you would like to be treated and nobody likes to have their confidence crushed that way.

2. Just show the tiniest bit of appreciation. It doesn’t take more than a thank you in an email or even a smile.

3. Know that we come to work excited and highly motivated so the only thing you need to do is to try not demotivate us or demoralize us. Again it takes very little.

4. Don’t measure an employee by the number of hours or late nights they put in, but rather the quality of work they produce.

5. Be aware of what’s on an employee’s plate and allow them to negotiate deadlines and tell them what is priority. Often employees are reporting to several ‘bosses’ or dotted line bosses or other departments, and it can be very stressful trying to please everyone.

6. Nip any form of office politics or bullying in the bud and show that you don’t tolerate such negative behaviour.

7. Have your employee’s back and don’t throw them under a bus, just to look good in front of your own boss.

8. Be ethical

9. Don’t tolerate brown-nosers or ass kissers.

10. Pay them fairly and not try to get the best deal so that your budget looks good.

All the above qualities or practices are very rare in local companies, which is sad. I have experienced wonderful bosses, but they were mostly either non-Singaporean or working in an American MNC where the culture is much more progressive. I hope our local companies adapt. Even if you’re not a boss, you could show compassion to your fellow colleagues too. Especially if you’re senior and in a position of power.

{Check out more awesome photos by Luke’s Beard here. I just love the print he created}

I wish you could too. I guess all we can do is try 🙂 When I am in that role I feel like I am not good enough either – a scatterbrained boss but I always try my best to be kind, smile and say thank you.

I am really happy your boss is so nice Lola. I really admire people like that. I used to have bosses on either end of the spectrum and I still remember the good ones fondly. They were brilliant yet kind and humble. Such good people.